Keeping or tossing prints?

[Ben Calwell]

In the course of a typical darkroom session, I’ll wind up with multiple prints, trying to arrive at the “perfect” one. The so-called “work prints” aren’t especially bad, but they exhibit flaws that maybe only I would notice. What do you all do with your maybe-not-so-perfect prints? Do you keep them or toss them? Seems a shame to tear up a print just because it contains an area that, say, needed to be burned in a bit more. But at the same time, I don’t have the space to store them. I’m just a hobbyist, so I guess I could gift them to friends and acquaintances, who likely, in turn, would put them in their closets or in next week’s trash collection. Thoughts?

[Tin Can]

I tear them in half

Often wet

[Dan6077]

I save them for post processing experiments with toning

[jp]

I cut them into strips and make bookmarks.

[nitroplait]

If you gift them to somebody they will surely frame them and put them somewere so you'ss see it every time you visit - a constant reminder of your mistakes.

[Alan9940]

I tear them in half and toss 'em. I have too many prints in storage now! ;)

[xkaes]

Since we are talking about a print that's a "keeper", I'd give them away -- but I only give away prints that I mat and frame, the way I want.

Not too many friends would go to the trouble and expense of matting and framing a "raw" print. So then they are stuck. What do they do with it? Then they end up in the same boat as you did.

But when I gift a matted and framed photo, my friends have always found a good place for it -- and they never notice the "imperfections".

[jtomasella]

I keep one and write the settings used, draw on it where it was dodged or burned and trash the rest.

[Gord Robinson]

I tear them in half and toss 'em. I have too many prints in storage now! ;)

+1
Sometimes it is pretty depressing to see how many prints it took to get it right.

[Chuck Pere]

I think if you are going to put something out into the world you should always go with your best. I always keep everything around for a while because I might change my mind on what is best. I keep a few bad prints to cut for the odd flashing mask. And since I've been mounting infrequently lately I keep some around to practice on the trimmer before I start on the real stuff.

[Doremus Scudder]

If it's a "keeper," I keep it. If it's not, it gets torn to itty-bitty pieces and tossed in the trash. When in doubt, throw it out. I'll go back through prints months or even years later and throw more out. My trash can is my best darkroom tool.

Doremus

[Mark Sawyer]

There's an old story about Ansel Adams keeping his slightly flawed work prints. Adams was also generous about reviewing visiting photographers' portfolios. If a visitor seemed sufficiently full of himself in bragging about his work, Adams would start tearing up those old work prints, crying something to the effect of "you're right, my work is so inferior, my life has been a waste...", to the visitor's horror.

Don't know if it's true or not, but it's a good story.

[Ben Calwell]

There's an old story about Ansel Adams keeping his slightly flawed work prints. Adams was also generous about reviewing visiting photographers' portfolios. If a visitor seemed sufficiently full of himself in bragging about his work, Adams would start tearing up those old work prints, crying something to the effect of "you're right, my work is so inferior, my life has been a waste...", to the visitor's horror.

Don't know if it's true or not, but it's a good story.



That’s a great story. I often feel like tearing up my prints, but it wouldn’t provide the same kind of drama.

[Peter Lewin]

Into the garbage can which sits right next to my darkroom sink. As you said, space is limited, and I don't see any point in hanging onto the "iterative steps" along the way. When I have the print I want, I typically make two copies, one which gets dry mounted onto 2-ply board, and one goes into an empty paper box, in case I mess up the first print during toning or mounting.

[John Olsen]

Since my "final and best" will be mounted and, with luck, sold or on display somewhere, I always keep the "almost best" for consultation when I go back to do reprints. It saves a huge amount of time, considering that my chemical mix, paper quality or enlarger lamp intensity may be different years later. Also, sometimes I decide that my final version went too far and retracing the progression helps correct some heavy-handed treatment. I guess I'm a hoarder.

[Mark Sawyer]

There's also the old saying, "the garbage can is the most under-used tool in the darkroom".

[cuypers1807]

I cut them into strips and make bookmarks.

My wife likes to cut mine up into bookmarks as well.

[domaz]

If you think you might get into Carbon Printing- you can transfer to the back of an RC print and get a decent Carbon Print. It makes a nice matte surface.

[John Layton]

Ever see what can happen to an unwashed "reject" print that's been in the trash for awhile? Can look pretty amazing! Then again, its always advisable to give a good rinse to freshly processed prints which will end up in the trash (to help mitigate future darkroom contamination)...but still!

But yeah...the prospect of ending up with a huge pile of prints when it all ends is - depressing! Think I'll have that bonfire! (of the vanities :confused:)

[Mark Sawyer]

Think I'll have that bonfire! (of the vanities :confused:)

I'd rather have people ask why I burned my prints than ask why I didn't...

[Grandpa Ron]

I have wrestled with this issue many times.

I decided that often, it was a question of; am I really improving an image or simply creating a slightly different image. Indeed it was not unusual for me to find I like my second or third revision better than my last "perfect" revision after a few days.

As an hobbyist, my personal bias places content over technical perfection. So now, I find it best to stop when the photograph conveys the idea I want. When I am happy with the print, I try not to second guess the results.

In most cases, the people who view my photos would not notice any minor change I made, so their suggestions would simply be adding their biases to my work.

Photography is personal, it reflects one's opinions. There is no wrong answer.

[xkaes]

A lot of this assumes that a negative only creates one image. More often than not, I create more than one image with a negative. One might be almost all of the negative, while another might be just a small section, another might be toned brown, another might be a different section with very high contrast, another might be hand-painted with transparent watercolors, another might be a panorama, another might be merged with a completely different negative (or two), one might have a texture screen added, another....................

One of my favorites was of an old barn. I developed it by using a spray bottle with developer in it. There's no way to reproduce it exactly.

[Martin Aislabie]

I review all of my working prints after a couple of days to let them dry out properly and then select my favourite one from the workflow.

The rest get binned.

I chuck a considerable number of my final prints too upon review after a few weeks of being stored, so I come to them again with fresh eyes.

You need to be your own harshest critic.

I've looked through too many other photographers work which has been a mixture of hits and misses.

Martin

[Grandpa Ron]

xkaes does make a valid point; cropping, toning, and other modifications, can create a lot more head scratching that trying to tweak the perfect photo. I do have multiple variations on the same negative, because I like them all.

There is no law saying you have to pick just one. :)

[Merg Ross]

You need to be your own harshest critic.

Martin

Good routine. And only show your best work.

Thanks,
Merg

[wooserco]

Regarding being your own harshest critic: Albeit digital, my most sought after print was one that I was one second from brooming to the discard file.

My wife saw it and exclaimed: That's perfect, I want it in a 16x20!

Months later, I went to capture the same scene on film and a storm had removed it. The photo is titled "Mill Ruins". It had been there for over 100 years, but the creek bed flooded and washed it all away. A once in a lifetime photo.

While we can be own harshest critic, solicit the eyes of another. My wife's eye is my final opinion from here on out.

[Jim Jones]

Really bad rejects are destroyed. The fairly good rejects might get tagged with the negative ID in case i want to reprint them in the distant future, or be given to friends who understand they may be rejects, but still like them. Why destroy what others may appreciate? If I was more businessman than photographer, destroying rejects would help maintain sale prices. However, I like people better than money.

[jtomasella]

Save one to write the process on and toss the rest.

[Dave Ogle]

sometimes I keep them. that way I can compare to a good print to a work print for future printing. I can see where to dodge and burn.

[ASA1000]

If I want to keep a less than anticipated print I cut the corner off, in the white border. That way I know, if I come across it later, that it is 'less than perfect'.

[Drew Wiley]

Start a designer paper airplane business with the rejects.

[Tin Can]

40 years ago

I was in a bar, not unusual

I did not like the wealthy customers

I tore paper dollars making airplanes...twenty well spent

tossed them into the crowd

they went nuts

pushing

crawling

The bar closed as normal

The old Black man janitor sincerely thanked me

He gathered them all

not art